SEA Visa Comparison Chart for Indian Passport Holders (2026)
✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-23
Indians have the easiest entry of any large passport into Southeast Asia right now. This sea visa comparison chart for indian passport covers ten countries, one row each, the exact fee, the max stay, and the one trap that catches Indians every time.
This article is the single chart you need before you start packing. Ten countries, one row each, the exact fee in local currency, the max stay, and the one trap that catches Indians every time. Skip ahead to the country you’re entering, or read top to bottom if you’re still planning the route.
For deeper country-by-country detail, see the full SEA visa guide for Indian travellers. For a primer on what multiple-entry even means on these visas, the multiple-entry visa explainer is worth a five-minute read before you book multi-country tickets.
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest visa-free entry | Thailand (60 days), Indonesia (30 days), Malaysia (30 days), Philippines (14 days) | ₹0 |
| Cheapest paid visa | Vietnam e-Visa (90 days) | ~₹1,896 (~$19.68) |
| VoA available? | Cambodia only (airport VoA or e-Visa, same price) | ~₹2,310 (~$23.98) |
| Most expensive visa | Myanmar e-Visa (28 days) | ~₹3,400 (~$35.29) |
| Mandatory arrival forms | Thailand (TDAC), Malaysia (MDAC), Philippines (eTravel), all free, all required | ₹0 |
| E-visa countries | Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, apply 3 business days before | ~₹1,896 - ₹3,400 |
| Hardest entry | Myanmar (e-Visa often paused), Brunei (embassy only) | Varies |
One Indian passport, ten rules. The chart above covers every country you’ll plausibly visit on a Southeast Asia loop. Several require an online application before you fly (Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Cambodia if you skip the airport counter). The rest are walk-in.
Visa Comparison Chart (Detailed)
| Country | Visa Type | Stay | Fee (local) | Fee (~INR) | Processing | Multiple Entry? | Indian-Specific Trap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | Visa exemption | 60 days | Free | ₹0 | Instant at border | No (single entry stamp) | Must file TDAC online within 3 days of arrival |
| Vietnam | e-Visa | 90 days | US ₹2,408 (~25 USD)+ ~US ₹193 (~2 USD) portal fee | ~₹1,896 (~$19.68) | 3 business days | Yes | Photo must be white background, no glasses |
| Indonesia | Visa exemption | 30 days | Free | ₹0 | Instant at border | No | Passport must have 6+ months validity |
| Malaysia | Visa exemption | 30 days | Free | ₹0 | Instant at border | No | MDAC must be filed; some reports of extra scrutiny at Johor land border |
| Singapore | e-Visa | 30 days | S ₹2,890 (~30 USD)+ S ₹963 (~10 USD) fee | ~₹2,580 (~$26.78) | 3 business days | Yes (up to 2 years validity possible) | Need a confirmed onward ticket; bank statement often asked |
| Philippines | Visa exemption | 14 days | Free | ₹0 | Instant at border | No | eTravel registration must match passport name exactly |
| Cambodia | VoA or e-Visa | 30 days | US ₹2,890 (~30 USD) + US ₹578 (~6 USD) fee | ~₹2,310 (~$23.98) VoA | Instant at airport / 3 days online | Yes (e-Visa only) | USD cash only at Phnom Penh/Siem Reap VoA counters |
| Laos | e-Visa | 30 days | US ₹3,854 (~40 USD)+ US ₹482 (~5 USD) fee | ~₹3,400 (~$35.29) | 3 business days | No | Photograph upload must be under 2 MB and properly cropped |
| Myanmar | e-Visa | 28 days | US ₹4,817 (~50 USD)+ US ₹482 (~5 USD) fee | ~₹3,400 (~$35.29) | 3 business days | Yes | Some eVisa applications paused; check current status before paying |
| Brunei | Embassy visa | 14 days | ~US ₹1,927-₹4,817 (~20-50 USD) | ~₹1,930-₹4,825 (~$20.03-$50.08) | 5-7 business days | Single | Most Indians don’t visit Brunei; only embassies in KL, Singapore, Bangkok process |
Rates as of 2026-07-23: 1 USD ≈ ₹96.53. 1 THB ≈ ₹2.87. 1 VND ≈ ₹0.0037. 1 SGD ≈ ₹74.76. The chart above is single-currency local; the rupee column is added for quick comparison.
Visa-Free Countries for Indians in 2026 (Ranked by Stay Length)
The longer the visa-free stay, the easier the trip. Here’s the order:
- Thailand, 60 days. The single biggest win for Indians in 2026. The previous 30-day rule was extended; you now have two months to do the north-to-south loop without an extension run.
- Indonesia (Bali, Jakarta, etc.), 30 days. Free, no form, just stamp and go.
- Malaysia, 30 days. Free, but you must file the MDAC digital arrival card online within three days of arrival.
- Philippines, 14 days. The shortest of the free entries. If you’re staying longer in the Philippines, you need a visa extension at an immigration office in Manila or Cebu.
- Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia. All require either an e-visa, visa on arrival, or an embassy application. Not visa-free.
Visa-on-Arrival Countries for Indians (VoA Only)
Only two countries in Southeast Asia offer a real VoA to Indian passport holders at present, and one of them is a fallback for people who didn’t apply for the cheaper e-Visa in advance.
| Country | VoA Fee | Stay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambodia | US ₹2,890 (~30 USD)+ US ₹578 (~6 USD) processing | 30 days | USD cash only. The e-Visa costs the same and saves the queue at Phnom Penh. |
| Indonesia (extension) | ~US ₹3,372 (~35 USD) | 30-day extension | If you want to stay past 30 days, you pay at an immigration office, not at the airport counter. |
Thailand and Vietnam used to have VoA for Indians. Both have shifted to visa-free or e-visa-only. Don’t expect to pay a VoA fee at Bangkok’s airport; you’ll be sent to the free stamp line.
e-Visa Countries (Apply Before You Fly)
You need an internet connection and a passport scan. Most take three business days. Fees range from US ₹1,893 (~19.65 USD) to US ₹4,817 (~50 USD).
| Country | Fee | Validity | Stay | Multi-Entry? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | ~US ₹2,601 (~27 USD) | 90 days | 90 days | Yes |
| Singapore | ~S ₹3,854 (~40 USD) | Up to 2 years | 30 days per entry | Yes |
| Cambodia | ~US ₹3,468 (~36 USD) | 90 days | 30 days per entry | Yes |
| Laos | ~US ₹4,335 (~45 USD) | 90 days | 30 days per entry | No |
| Myanmar | ~US ₹5,299 (~55 USD) | 90 days | 28 days per entry | Yes |
Skip the third-party visa sites. Every country above has an official government portal. Singapore’s official site charges S ₹2,890 (~30 USD)+ S ₹963 (~10 USD) fee for the standard tourist visa; sites that charge S ₹7,707 (~80 USD)+ are resellers. For Singapore specifically, the Singapore visa application process for Indians walks through the official portal. Apply directly: Apply for Singapore eVisa.
Step-by-Step: How to Use This Chart
Because this is a comparison article, not a single-visa how-to, the step-by-step here is the workflow, not a single-country process.
- Plot your route. List the countries you’ll enter and the order. Remember, every entry counts, even a transit through Singapore or KL on a separate ticket.
- Sort the chart by visa type. Visa-free countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines) need zero preparation except the arrival forms. E-Visa countries (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore) need 3 business days lead time before you fly.
- Check the multi-entry column. If you’re doing a loop (Bangkok → Hanoi → Siem Reap → back to Bangkok), you need either a multi-entry visa or separate visas for the two entries into Thailand. Most SEA countries do not give multi-entry on the visa-free stamp.
- Set calendar reminders for arrival forms. TDAC for Thailand, MDAC for Malaysia, eTravel for Philippines. These are free but mandatory; missing them triggers a fine or a secondary screening at the next border.
- Carry USD cash. Even though you’re not paying a VoA everywhere, border and immigration offices in Cambodia and Laos often quote fees in USD. Indonesian and Malaysian immigration offices accept local currency, but cash in USD saves a bad-rate money changer conversion.
For deeper detail on any single country above, the country-specific visa guide is the right next read. The Vietnam visa guide for Indians and the Thailand VoA step-by-step both link out from this page.
Common Mistakes & Rejection Reasons
A few patterns show up repeatedly in Indian-passport SEA applications. None of these are rare edge cases; they account for roughly half of all rejections.
Mismatched name on e-Visa vs. Passport. The Indian passport has your full name (first + middle + last). The e-Visa form in Vietnam and Laos has separate first-name and last-name fields. If your passport reads “Aakash Ramesh Kumar” and the e-Visa form splits it incorrectly, you’ll be turned away at the gate. Match character-by-character.
Photo specifications. Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos each have slightly different photo rules. Vietnam requires a white background, no glasses, no smile. Cambodia accepts passport-style but rejects selfies. Laos has a 2 MB file size limit. If your photo fails the size check, the eVisa portal silently rejects it without an error message. The Vietnam visa photo size for Indians article covers Vietnam specifically.
eVisa website typos and resellers. The official Vietnam e-Visa portal is https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. There are dozens of .com clones that charge US ₹7,707 (~80 USD) for the same US ₹2,408 (~25 USD) visa. Always confirm the domain before paying.
Not registering for TDAC, MDAC, or eTravel. Thailand’s TDAC was introduced in 2025; travellers who skip it now face a fine on exit. Malaysia’s MDAC is required within three days of arrival. Philippines’ eTravel is required before the immigration line. These are not optional. They take under five minutes each.
Passport validity less than six months. Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore immigration all technically require six months validity. Airlines routinely let you board with five months, but you’ll be sent to the secondary screening room on arrival. Renew the passport first if you’re under the threshold.
Last-minute applications for high-season flights. Singapore’s e-Visa, in particular, can take five business days during Chinese New Year and December peak. Apply two weeks before departure if you’re flying in those windows.
At the Airport / Border: What Happens
For visa-free countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines), you’ll queue at the foreign passport line, hand over your passport, and get a stamped entry. The whole thing takes five to fifteen minutes depending on the airport and time of day. Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Bali’s Ngurah Rai are the fastest; Manila’s Ninoy Aquino is the slowest.
For VoA (Cambodia), you’ll see a VoA counter before the immigration line. You fill out a form, hand over a passport photo and US ₹3,468 (~36 USD), then join the immigration queue with the receipt.
For e-Visa countries, you print the eVisa approval letter before you fly. At the immigration counter, you present the printout alongside your passport. Vietnam’s eVisa approval is a PDF with a QR code; Cambodia’s is a colored printout with a stamp image. Do not rely on a phone screenshot. Some countries will accept it, some won’t, and the risk of being turned to the secondary line is not worth saving the page of paper.
Land borders add a wrinkle. Thailand-Malaysia at Padang Besar or Sadao, Thailand-Laos at Chiang Khong, and Thailand-Cambodia at Aranyaprathet are all busy crossings where the visa-free stamp is faster than at the airport but the arrival-form requirement still applies. Malaysian land borders with Singapore at Woodlands and Tuas are run by Malaysian immigration and enforce MDAC strictly.
Extensions & Overstay
| Country | Extend Where | Extension Fee | Overstay Fine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | Any immigration office (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket) | ~₹5,432 (~1,900 THB or ~$56.38) for 30-day extension | 500 THB/day, max ₹57,178 (~20,000 THB or ~$593.51) |
| Vietnam | Vietnam Immigration Department, Hanoi | Varies | ~US $25/day for first 7 days, higher after |
| Indonesia | Local immigration office (Denpasar, Jakarta) | ~₹5,380 (~1,000,000 IDR or ~$55.84) for 30-day extension | ~1,000,000 IDR/day |
| Malaysia | Bukit Bintang immigration office, KL | Varies | ~US $30/day |
| Philippines | Bureau of Immigration, Manila or Cebu | ~₹1,930 (~$20.03) for first month | ~₹500/day escalating |
| Cambodia | Immigration HQ, Phnom Penh | ~US ₹4,335 (~45 USD) for 30 days | ~US $10/day |
| Laos | Immigration office, Vientiane | Varies | ~US $10/day |
Overstay in Thailand beyond 90 days gets you a one-year entry ban. In Vietnam, the overstay escalates sharply after a week and can include detention. Don’t test these.
Getting Connected
Buy a SIM at the airport. Thailand has AIS, TrueMove, and dtac counters right before the exit gates at Suvarnabhumi; AIS’s tourist SIM is the most expensive but has the best 4G coverage on the islands. Indonesia’s Telkomsel has airport booths at Bali. Cambodia’s Cellcard and Smart are at the Phnom Penh VoA counter area. The eSIM alternative avoids the airport queue entirely and activates before you land: Get Nomad eSIM.
FAQ
Which Southeast Asian countries are visa-free for Indians in 2026?
Four: Thailand (60 days), Indonesia (30 days), Malaysia (30 days), and the Philippines (14 days). All others require either an e-Visa, visa-on-arrival, or embassy application.
Do Indians get visa on arrival in Thailand?
No, not since the visa-free rule was extended. Indians walk into the foreign passport line and get a 60-day stamp at no cost. You still need to file the TDAC arrival form online within three days.
How long can Indians stay in Bali without a visa?
30 days under the visa-free rule. If you want a full 60 days, pay for a 30-day extension at the Denpasar immigration office, or apply for a 211B business visa in advance through an agent.
Is Singapore visa-free for Indians in 2026?
No. Indians need an eVisa for Singapore, applied for through the official portal or an authorized agent. The Singapore visa for Indian passport holders page covers the full process and which agent is cheapest.
Can I get a Vietnam visa on arrival as an Indian in 2026?
Vietnam removed VoA for Indians years ago. The only options now are the e-Visa applied for online before departure (90 days, multiple entry) or an embassy sticker visa. The Vietnam 90-day e-visa guide is the canonical walkthrough.
What is the cheapest Southeast Asia visa for Indians?
Free. Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines all let Indians in at zero cost. Among paid visas, Vietnam’s e-Visa at ~US ₹2,601 (~27 USD) is the cheapest.
Which SEA country is hardest for Indians to enter?
Myanmar and Brunei. Myanmar’s e-Visa program has been paused multiple times in recent years; check the official portal on the day you apply. Brunei requires an embassy visa in KL, Singapore, or Bangkok with no VoA fallback, and few Indians visit.
Subodh’s Take
The Indian passport punches well above its weight in Southeast Asia. The four visa-free countries cover the main backpacker route; the e-Visa countries are quick enough to handle in a week of pre-departure prep. Most first-time Indian backpackers over-apply. They pay a US ₹2,890 (~30 USD) Cambodia VoA without realizing the e-Visa costs the same and lets them skip the queue. They pay a Singapore visa agent US ₹7,707 (~80 USD) when the official portal is US ₹2,601 (~27 USD). They skip TDAC and then get a fine on exit. Read the chart, sort your route into free vs. E-Visa vs. VoA, set your arrival-form reminders, and skip the resellers.
For the bigger picture on how this affects long-term travel and remote-work setups in SEA, the digital nomad guide from India covers the visa extension and tax side once you’re past the initial tourist entry.
— Subodh---
